CANEX Creations Inc. (CCInc), the intellectual property investment arm backed by African Export-Import Bank’s Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA), has announced an investment in the Nigerian feature film Clarissa, which has been acquired for worldwide distribution by NEON.
In a statement, CCInc said NEON will oversee the film’s theatrical release in the United States, with NEON International handling foreign sales.
Clarissa is directed by Nigerian twin filmmakers Arie Esiri and Chuko Esiri. The film is described as a contemporary reimagining of Virginia Woolf’s novel Mrs Dalloway, relocated to Lagos. Shot on 35mm film across Lagos and Delta State, the drama follows a society woman preparing to host a party, only to confront memories and unresolved tensions stirred by the arrival of once-intimate friends.
The production features an ensemble cast led by Sophie Okonedo, David Oyelowo and Ayo Edebiri, alongside India Amarteifio, Toheeb Jimoh and Nikki Amuka-Bird.
The Esiri brothers previously directed Eyimofe (This Is My Desire), which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and later received international distribution and critical acclaim.
Osahon Akpata, Chief Executive Officer of CANEX Creations Inc., said the project aligns with the company’s mandate to invest in globally competitive African intellectual property.
“Clarissa exemplifies the type of globally resonant, IP-driven storytelling that CANEX Creations Inc. was established to support,” Akpata said in the statement. “Its acquisition by NEON validates both the creative ambition of the filmmakers and the viability of Africa-backed financing structures for internationally scalable film content.”
Chuko Esiri said the filmmakers were intentional about grounding the project on the continent.
“From the beginning, it was important to us that Clarissa be both rooted and resourced on the continent where it is set,” he said. “Having African institutions back a film of this scale reflects a growing confidence that our stories can be produced from within.”
According to the statement, production financing for filming in Nigeria was provided entirely by Africa-based institutions, led by CCInc alongside MBO Capital.
The acquisition deal was negotiated by NEON’s Kate Gondwe, with UTA Independent Film Group representing the filmmakers.
CCInc said the investment forms part of its broader strategy to catalyse export-ready creative assets across film, television, music and other intellectual property–intensive sectors.
